With thousands of cryptocurrencies available, choosing the best one to invest in can be challenging. Here are some factors to consider when deciding which cryptocurrency to invest in:
- Availability and Liquidity: The cryptocurrency should be easily available and traded on multiple exchanges, including both centralized and decentralized options. It should also have solid liquidity, with a high trading volume.
- Market Capitalization: A large market capitalization indicates strong community interest and resilience to market manipulation attempts.
- Sector Leadership: Look for cryptocurrencies that are leaders in their respective sectors, such as Proof-of-Work or Proof-of-Stake coins, decentralized finance, or meme coins.
- Working Product: Invest in cryptocurrencies with a working mainnet or token with utility, rather than those based on future promises.
- Team and Development: Consider the qualifications and transparency of the development team. Anonymous teams are not necessarily a dealbreaker, but they may add risk.
- Bitcoin (BTC): The first and most popular cryptocurrency, described as 'digital gold'. It has a large market share and is widely accepted by online merchants.
- Ethereum (ETH): The second most popular cryptocurrency and the top choice for Web3 builders and developers. It supports smart contracts and decentralized applications.
- XRP (XRP): A fast and low-cost digital currency used for cross-border money transfers.
- Binance Coin (BNB): The native token of the Binance cryptocurrency exchange, offering benefits such as lower trading fees and access to exclusive programs.
- Tether (USDT): A stablecoin backed by fiat currencies, aiming to reduce volatility and provide stability.
- Cardano (ADA): A super-fast, scalable, and secure blockchain with a growing decentralized application and NFT marketplace.
- Solana (SOL): A smart contracts platform with a unique architecture, processing thousands of transactions per second at low costs.
- Dogecoin (DOGE): One of the first memecoins, Dogecoin has a strong community and is accepted as a form of payment by some major companies.
- Toncoin (TON): A blockchain project continuing the development of a decentralized web hosting scheme initially designed by the Telegram messenger team.
What You'll Learn
Bitcoin
BTC can be sent anywhere in the world at any time and transactions cannot be blocked by intermediaries. Users can self-custody their Bitcoin by holding their own private keys, removing the need for banks or other institutions.
Despite the countless cryptocurrencies and blockchain platforms that have been released since its launch, Bitcoin remains the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation. It is often referred to as 'digital gold' and is seen as a hedge against inflation.
Although Bitcoin remains volatile, it has generated unprecedented gains. In late 2021, for example, Bitcoin was trading at just over $68,000. However, in 2022, Bitcoin lost more than 70% of its market value. As of writing, Bitcoin is trading in the $27,000 region.
Many analysts argue that Bitcoin is currently heavily undervalued. Indeed, investment bank Standard Chartered has predicted that BTC will reach $100,000 by the end of 2024.
Today, Bitcoin is accepted as an online payment system by many online merchants. It can also be used as collateral to take out loans, to play at crypto casinos, and can be locked away to gain annual interest.
Considering its many utilities, as well as its reputation as the first and most popular cryptocurrency, Bitcoin continues to be a top choice as the best cryptocurrency to invest in.
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Ethereum
The Ethereum Merge, the network's long-awaited shift to a proof-of-stake system, is expected to make the technology remarkably more energy-efficient. The Ethereum Foundation has predicted that the shift will cut energy usage by around 99.95%.
One of the first use cases enabled by Ethereum that gained a lot of traction was the ability to issue custom tokens that could be transacted over the Ethereum blockchain. This feature was utilised by many projects to conduct fundraising through initial coin offerings and other types of token sales.
Today, Ethereum has an extremely vibrant ecosystem of decentralised applications, including decentralised financial services, NFT marketplaces, publishing platforms, decentralised cryptocurrency exchanges, and more, which makes it a good investment in 2023.
With Ethereum ETFs expected to start trading in the US market soon, ETH is certainly among the most interesting crypto assets to keep an eye on in the short term.
The bottom line: Ethereum is a good investment for those with a greater risk appetite and is probably the right choice for those interested in cryptocurrencies that have long-term potential.
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Cardano
Despite these challenges, Cardano stands out in the crowded world of cryptocurrencies. It is designed to be more secure, scalable, and sustainable. It has a robust background, infrastructure, and substantial growth in its staking activity. However, it needs more intensified operational efforts to truly flourish.
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Solana
The cryptocurrency running on the Solana blockchain is called Solana (SOL). It was founded in 2017 by Anatoly Yakovenko, a former Qualcomm employee and Dropbox software engineer. Its main goal was to create an open-source project that implemented a new, high-performance, permissionless blockchain.
Remember, cryptocurrencies are risky investments and typically display a lot of price volatility. Never invest more than you are willing to lose.
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Binance Coin
BNB is the cryptocurrency coin that powers the BNB Chain ecosystem. As one of the world's most popular utility tokens, you can trade BNB like any other cryptocurrency, but you can also use BNB in a wide range of applications and use cases. For example, you can use BNB to pay for goods and services, settle transaction fees on Binance Smart Chain, and participate in exclusive token sales.
The Binance network includes the Binance Chain, Binance Smart Chain, Binance Academy, Trust Wallet, and Research projects, all of which employ blockchain technology to bring new-age finance to the world. BNB is an integral part of the successful functioning of many of the Binance sub-projects.
Binance was founded by Changpeng Zhao, who is also the CEO. He Yi is a co-founder and chief marketing officer. She previously co-founded OKCoin, which was the largest fiat-to-crypto exchange in China at the time.
As of August 2024, BNB has a market cap of $69.4 billion and a year-over-year return of 97%. BNB’s price in 2017 was just $0.10. By late August 2024, its price had risen to around $476, a gain of 475,746%.
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Frequently asked questions
The best crypto coin to buy for investment depends on your risk appetite and investment goals. If you are a beginner, it is advisable to stick to well-established cryptocurrencies with large market capitalizations, solid liquidity, and working products. Examples include Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP.
Bitcoin and Ethereum are popular choices for long-term investment due to their robust fundamentals and wider adoption by major financial institutions.
When choosing a cryptocurrency for investment, it is essential to consider factors such as market capitalization, sector leadership, team credibility and activity, tokenomics, and the availability of a working product. It is also crucial to assess your risk tolerance, budget, and investment goals before investing in any cryptocurrency.